Stara Zagora
909385
226025132
2008-07-16T14:20:42Z
91.121.152.63
[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225928060 by [[Special:Contributions/71.175.117.222|71.175.117.222]] ([[User talk:71.175.117.222|talk]])
{{otheruses4|the Bulgarian city once known as Beroe||Beroe}}
{{Infobox Settlement <!--more fields are available for this Infobox--See Template:Infobox Settlement-->
|official_name = {{PAGENAME}}
|subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
|subdivision_name = {{BUL}}
|subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Bulgaria|Provinces]]<br><small>(Oblast)</small>
|timezone=[[Eastern European Time|EET]]
|utc_offset=+2
|timezone_DST=[[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
|utc_offset_DST=+3
|map_caption = Location of Stara Zagora|
|pushpin_map =Bulgaria <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption =Location of Stara Zagora
|pushpin_mapsize =
|leader_title =Mayor
|postal_code_type =[[List of postal codes in Bulgaria|Postal Code]]|
native_name=Стара Загора|
|
subdivision_name1=Stara Zagora|
image_shield=Stara-Zagora-coat-of-arms.svg|
|
population_total=162416|population_footnotes=<sup>[http://www.grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt]</sup>|
|population_metro = 213444[http://www.eufunds.bg/docs/OPRD_29August_FINAL_Revised.pdf]|
population_as_of=2007-09-14|
elevation_m=196|
postal_code=6000|
area_code=042|
latd=42|latm=26|lats=|latNS=N|longd=25|longm=39|longs=|longEW=E|leader_name=Svetlin Tanchev|
}}
'''Stara Zagora''' ({{lang-bg|Стара Загора}}) is the 5-th largest metro in [[Bulgaria]], and constitutes an important economic centre. Stara Zagora is known as the city of straight streets, [[linden tree]]s, and [[poets]]. According to the city`s [[chamber of commerce]], it is one of the oldest settlements in [[Europe]], being at least eight thousand years old. According to one unofficial study, Stara Zagora ranks second among the cities in Bulgaria by average salary.<ref>[http://www.karieri.bg/show/?storyid=312279 За търсещи работа - Новини - 880 лв. средна заплата в София - KARIERI.bg<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
== Geography and climate ==
Stara Zagora is the administrative centre of its municipality and the [[Stara Zagora Province]]. It is located about {{km to mi|spell=Commonwealth|231}} away from [[Sofia]], near the [[Bedechka|Bedechka river]] in the historic region of [[Thrace]]. The population is about 162,400, metro - 213 444.
The city is located in an area of transitional continental climate with considerable [[Mediterranean]] influence. The average yearly temperature is about {{C to F|spell=Commonwealth|13}}.
== History ==
[[Image:43853069.P5185637.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Assumption of Mary Orthodox Church]]
Stara Zagora is considered to be one of the oldest settlements in Bulgaria and [[Southeastern Europe]].{{Fact|date=May 2007}} It was founded by the [[Thracians]] under the name ''Beroe'' (meaning ''iron'') about [[6th century BCE|6th]]-[[5th century BCE]], with the [[Neolithic]] dwellings and the copper mine near the city being the oldest preserved ones in [[Europe]]. The area has been a mining region since [[ancient history|Antiquity]].
Under the [[Roman Empire]], the town was renamed to ''Augusta Trajana'' in honour of emperor [[Trajan]].
At the time of the [[Byzantine Empire]], it adopted the name ''Irinopolis'' after Byzantine empress [[Irene (empress)|Irene]]. The fortifications around the town were reconstructed because of fear of Bulgarian attacks, but Irinopolis and the whole Zagore region were reincorporated into [[Bulgaria]] in 717. The land was bestowed on [[Khan (title)|khan]] [[Tervel]] as a Byzantine gift in acknowledgement of the Bulgarian help to fight back the [[Arabs]] besieging [[Constantinople]]. The region was the first Bulgarian territorial gain south of [[Stara Planina]]. The town acquired the name ''Boruy''.
In the year 1122 Stara Zagora (''Beroia'') was the site of a battle between Byzantine Emperor [[John II Komnenos]] and an invading [[Pecheneg]] army, the [[Battle of Beroia]]. The Pechenegs suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of John's Byzantine army, and many of the captives were settled as [[foederati]] within the Byzantine frontier. In 1028 the Bulgarians defeated the [[Latin Empire]] in the [[battle of Boruy]].
The [[Ottomans]] conquered Stara Zagora in 1371. A grade school was built in 1840 and the town's name was changed to ''Zheleznik'' ({{lang|bg|Железник}}; a [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] translation of ''Beroe'') in 1854 instead of the [[Turkish language|Turkish]] ''{{lang|tr|Eskizağra}}'', but was renamed once again to ''Stara Zagora'' in 1870. After the [[Liberation of Bulgaria]] from Ottoman rule in 1878, it became part of autonomous [[Eastern Rumelia]] before the two Bulgarian states finally merged in 1886 as a result of the [[Unification of Bulgaria]].
[[Image:The roman amphithe galleryfull.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The Roman Amphitheatre]]
[[Image:Stara-zagora-streets-ngruev.JPG|right|thumb|250px|A typical street scene]]
[[Image:TeatarGeoMilev.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Geo Milev Drama Theatre]]
===Historical population===
{| class=wikitable
! Year
! Population{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
|-
| align="center" | 1875 || align="center" | 23,000
|-
| align="center" | 1884 || align="center" | 15,500
|-
| align="center" | 1901–1913 ||align="center" | 27,000
|-
| align="center" | 1934 ||align="center" | 34,000
|-
| align="center" | 1940 ||align="center" | 40,000
|-
| align="center" | 1956 ||align="center" | 56,000
|-
| align="center" | 1965 ||align="center" | 87,000
|-
| align="center" | 1968 ||align="center" | 100,000
|-
| align="center" | 1975 ||align="center" | 122,000
|-
| align="center" | 1985 ||align="center" | 157,000
|-
| align="center" | 1992 ||align="center" | 162,000
|-
| align="center" | 2002 ||align="center" | 164,000
|}
==Districts==
[[Image:StaraZagora-districts.svg|350px|right|thumb|Districts of Stara Zagora: 1 - Supercenter; 2 - Central City Part; 3 - Chayka; 4 - Industrial Zone; 5 - Samara-3; 6 - Samara-2; 7 - Samara-1; 8 - Eastern Industrial Zone; 9 - Kolyu Ganchev; 10 - Zora; 11 - APK; 12 - Zagorka; 13 - Lozenets; 14 - Tri Chuchura - north; 15 - Tri Chuchura - center; 16 - Tri Chuchura - south; 17 - Kazanski; 18 - Zheleznik]]
* APK (''АПК'' - named at former Industrial-agricultural complex)
* Atyuren (''Атюрен'' - future dictrict of the city)
* [[Bogomilovo]] (''Богомилово'' - former village of Bogomilovo)
* Central City Part (includes Supercenter, Chayka & Zagorka) (''Централна градска част (Суперцентър, Чайка и Загорка)'' - Chayka - [[Sea-gull]], Zagorka - named at [[Zagorka]] brewery)
* Chumleka (''Чумлека'')
* [[Dabrava]] (''Дъбрава'' - former village of Dabrava)
* Eastern Industrial Zone (''Източна индустриална зона'')
* [[Hrishteni]] (''Хрищени'' - former village of Hrishteni)
* Industrial Zone (''Индустриална Зона'')
* Kazanski (''Казански'')
* Kolyu Ganchev (''Колю Ганчев'' - named at famous bulgarian revolutionary)
* Lozenets (''Лозенец'' - from ''лозе'' - [[vineyard]])
* Malka Vereya (''Малка Верея'' - Vereya - old name of the city, Malka - small)
* Samara 1, 2 & 3- (''Самара 1, 2 и 3'' - named at sister city of [[Samara, Russia]])
* Studentski grad - (''Студентски град'' - Student town)
* Tri Chuchura north, center & south - (''Три чучура север, център и юг'' - "Three spouts")
* Zheleznik (small & big) (''Железник'' - named at former name of the city)
* Zora (''Зора'' - Dawn)
== Culture ==
=== Landmarks ===
* The Antique Forum
* Thracian Tomb
* The Roman Baths
* The [[Samara flag|Samarsko Zname]] Monument
* Ayazmoto Park
* Defenders of Stara Zagora Memorial Complex
* Memorial House of [[Geo Milev]]
* The South Gate of Augusta Trajana
* The [[Opera House]] (built 1925)
* [[Stara Zagora Transmitter]] with one of the few [[Blaw-Knox Tower]]s in Europe
=== Famous Natives ===
* [[Anna Tomowa-Sintow]], dramatic soprano opera singer
* [[Vesselina Kasarova]], lyric mezzo soprano opera singer
* Kiril Hristov, writer
==Trivia==
* [[Beroe Hill]] on [[Livingston Island]], [[West Antarctica]] is named after this city, in its previous incarnation as Beroe.
* One of the two lighting factories [[Svetlina_AD|Svetlina]] is situated here.
== Notes ==
<references />
==See also==
* [[Stara Zagora Airport]]
* [[Kalvacha Airport]]
== External links ==
* [http://museum.starazagora.net/ Stara Zagora Regional museum of history]
* [http://tour.starazagora.net/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 Stara Zagora Tourist Information Centre]
* [http://www.szeda.bg Stara Zagora Economic Development Agency]
* [http://www.guide-bulgaria.com/SC/Stara_Zagora/Stara_Zagora Maps, Population, Info & Facts about cities and villages in Stara Zagora municipality]
* [http://programata.bg/index.php?p=&c=14&l=2 Programata Stara Zagora — the free cultural guide of Stara Zagora]
* [http://get.info.bg/visit/Dir.asp?d=0-13-Stara_Zagora Information and links about Stara Zagora]
* [http://www.visitbulgaria.com/citydetails.php?id=63 Information from Visit Bulgaria]
* [http://www.chambersz.com/econ2003/Munisip/StZ_en.htm Chamber of commerce]
* [http://www.pbase.com/ngruev/starazagora Real Photos from Stara Zagora]
{{Cities in Bulgaria}}
{{Stara Zagora Province}}
{{coor title dm|42|26|N|25|39|E|type:city}}
[[Category:100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Stara Zagora Province]]
[[ast:Stara Zagora]]
[[bg:Стара Загора]]
[[cs:Stara Zagora]]
[[cu:Стара Загора]]
[[de:Stara Sagora]]
[[el:Στάρα Ζαγόρα]]
[[es:Stara Zagora]]
[[et:Stara Zagora]]
[[fi:Stara Zagora]]
[[fr:Stara Zagora]]
[[hr:Stara Zagora]]
[[it:Stara Zagora]]
[[ja:スタラ・ザゴラ]]
[[lt:Stara Zagora]]
[[lv:Stara Zagora]]
[[mk:Стара Загора]]
[[nl:Stara Zagora (stad)]]
[[nn:Stara Zagora]]
[[pl:Stara Zagora]]
[[pt:Stara Zagora]]
[[ru:Стара-Загора]]
[[sk:Stara Zagora]]
[[sv:Stara Zagora]]
[[tr:Eski Zağra]]
[[uk:Стара Загора]]
[[vo:Stara Zagora]]